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Edmonson County, Kentucky
Edmonson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,161. Its county seat is Brownsville. The county was formed in 1825 and named for Captain John "Jack" Edmonson (1764–1813), who was killed at the Battle of Frenchtown during the War of 1812. The sale of alcohol is currently prohibited in Edmonson County. Edmonson County is included in the Bowling Green, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Edmonson County was established on January 12, 1825 from land given by Grayson, Hart and Warren counties. A courthouse built in 1873 replaced a former structure rendered unfit when its floor collapsed. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.7%) is water. Adjacent counties *Grayson County (north) *Hart County (east) *Barren County (southeast) *Warren County (southwest) *Butler County (west) National protected area * Mammoth Cave National Park Demographics |align-fn=center |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 }} As of the census of 2000, there were 11,644 people, 4,648 households, and 3,462 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 6,104 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 98.39% White, 0.58% Black or African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.56% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 4,648 households out of which 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.50% were non-families. 22.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.88. In the county, the population was spread out with 23.60% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 25.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 males there were 92.50 females. For every 100 males age 18 and over, there were 89.33 females. The median income for a household in the county was $25,413, and the median income for a family was $31,843. Males had a median income of $26,770 versus $17,158 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,480. About 14.20% of families and 18.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.50% of those under age 18 and 21.00% of those age 65 or over. Politics Education There are currently four public schools operating as part of the Edmonson County School System. They are Kyrock Elementary (in the Kyrock community in northern Edmonson County), South Edmonson Elementary (near the Chalybeate community in southern Edmonson County), the Edmonson County Fifth/Sixth Grade Center and Edmonson County Middle/High School (both in Brownsville). Transportation welcomes visitors as they enter southern Edmonson County.]] There are two main routes that form the major transportation corridors through Edmonson County. KY 70 is the primary west to east route, traversing the width of the county. KY 259 enters Edmonson County at the border with Grayson County, near the town of Bee Spring. The highway continues on, bridging the Green River(the only bridge over the river in Edmonson County), before intersecting with KY 101. KY 259 then branches off in a southeastern direction while KY 101 continues as the main north-south route through the county, exiting into Warren County just south of the community of Chalybeate. Additionally, KY 185 is a north-south route connecting Bowling Green with points in Grayson County and points north which lie between. I-65 passes through the southeastern tip of the county, but has no interchanges allowing access to the road. I-65 parallels the older US 31W, which runs through a small southeastern portion of the county. Attractions , the most popular tourist attraction in Edmonson County.]] The biggest tourist attraction in Edmonson County is Mammoth Cave National Park, which usually draws almost 2 million visitors a year.NPS Reports The park includes in its area roughly a fourth of the county.Edmonson County, Kentucky map Located mostly in the northern part of Edmonson County, the Nolin Lake area was incorporated as a Kentucky State Park in 2001 and offers fishing and other recreational opportunities. Media Edmonson County is served by a weekly newspaper, the Edmonson News. The paper is sometimes referred to by its nickname, "the Gimlet", and carries the slogan "It Bores In". The paper has a circulation number of 3,704.Edmonson News On March 6, 2007, MTV wrote an article titled "Who's Joining The Army" in which they stated Edmonson County has the highest Army enlistment rate of any county in the United States. The unincorporated community of Wingfield, in southwestern Edmonson County, is home to the transmitting tower of Antenna TV and MyNetworkTV affiliated low-powered television station WCZU-LD Channel 39, and adult hits-formatted radio station WKLX-FM 100.7 Sam FM.http://www.rabbitears.info/tower.php?request=site&asrn=1060660 Additionally, Edmonson County is also served by an online news website, Edmonsonvoice.com. It serves as the main media outlet in the county with a weekly readership of over 12,000. The Edmonson County Police Department has been featured on A&E Television's "Live PD". Local Events *Edmonson County Lions Club Fair - early September (including a parade that takes place in downtown Brownsville on the second Friday of September), one of the longest-running county fairs in the state. *Nolin Fest (July or August) - at Nolin Lake State Park, organized by the Friends of Nolin Lake. *Annual Saddle Club Horse Show - Edmonson County Fairgrounds *Freedom Fest (late June) at the Chalybeate Sports Complex Source: Edmonson County Tourism Commission Communities *Asphalt *Bee Spring *Big Reedy *Brownsville (county seat) *Cedar Spring *Chalybeate Springs *Huff *Lincoln *Lindseyville *Mammoth Cave *Pig *Rhoda *Rocky Hill *Roundhill (partly in Butler County) *Sunfish *Sweeden *Windyville Notable residents *Joe Blanton, Major League Baseball pitcher, was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but spent most of his childhood and young adult life in Edmonson County on Otter Gap Road. *Ben Helson, a guitarist for Dierks Bentley, is a native of the Chalybeate community. See also *Edmonson County High School *Mammoth Cave National Park *National Register of Historic Places listings in Edmonson County, Kentucky References External links *Edmonson County official website *Edmonson County Schools website *Edmonson County Tourist Commission *Civil War in Edmonson County *The Kentucky Highlands Project *Mammoth Cave NPS Site *Nolin Lake State Park Site Category:Edmonson County, Kentucky Category:Counties of Kentucky Category:Dry counties of Kentucky Category:Bowling Green metropolitan area Category:Counties of Appalachia Category:1825 establishments in Kentucky Category:Settlements established in 1825